Massage apparatus



Sept. 20, 1955 G. T, KAYE 2,718,226

MASSAGE APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1954 United States Patent Office 2,718,225 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 MASSAGE APPARATUS George T. Kaye, Pasadena, Calif.

Application June 17, 1954, Serial No. 437,374

7 Claims. (Cl. 12S-33) This invention relates to treating the human body and more particularly to an apparatus for simultaneously massaging the entire human body while the same is supported in a comfortable position.

Heretofore, many different types of massage apparatus have been developed and utilized, but many of these have been particularly for localized massage or for massaging an entire body member, such as an arm or a leg, but these prior art machines have not, in general, been applicable to a simultaneous massage of the entire human body particularly with such body completely supported in a comfortable position.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a massage apparatus for supporting and simultaneously massaging the entire human body.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a massage apparatus including a comfortable support for the human body and in which the massage action is spread over the entire body and is not localized in any particular area.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a massage apparatus which may be conveniently and economically constructed from readily available parts and which is of such size and weight as to be conveniently transported and utilized at any desired location.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a massage apparatus which may be operated from a single electric motor or other suitable power and which includes only relatively simple linkages and mechanisms to effect the massage action.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a massage apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3, a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Fig. l and showing particularly the drive means for the massage apparatus of this invention.

With continued reference to the drawing there is shown a massage apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention and which may well include a base 10 of any desired material which serves to support uprights 11, 12 and 13 and a fourth upright opposite upright 11. As shown in Fig. 3, these uprights may be formed of angle iron but, of course, may if desired, be formed of any other desired material or configuration and if desired, may simply be square posts.

Upright 11 may be provided with spaced guides 15 and 16 which serve to slidably receive a pushrod 17 and upright 12 may be provided with guides 18 and 19 which serve to slidably receive a pushrod 20. Likewise, upright 13 may be provided with guides 21 and 22 which serve to slidably receive a pushrod 23 and the other upright may be provided with guides which serve to slidably receive a fourth pushrod.

A bar 26 may be supported by the upper ends of pushrods 23 and the fourth pushrod and bar 26 may be secured to the pushrods in any desired manner and may if desired, removably extend through eyes or apertures in the upper ends of such pushrods. Similarly a bar 2'7 is secured to the upper ends of pushrods 17 and 20 and this bar 27 may be secured to such rods in the same manner that bar 26 is secured in place.

Bars 26 and 27 serve to support a hammock 28 which may be fabricated from suitable relatively soft, exible material and if desired may be padded or quilted as shown at 29, in order to provide additional comfort for the user. The hammock 28 may be provided at its upper edges with loops 30 and 31 which provide tubes or tunnels for receiving the bars 26 and 27 to adequately support the hammock 28 at its upper edges. As shown in Fig. 2, the hammock 28 extends between the bars 26 and 27 and depends therefrom to provide a convenient and comfortable support for the body of the person -to be treated.

A cam shaft 32 is rotatably mounted in bearings 33, 34 and 35 which in turn are mounted on the base 10 and a cam 36 is fixed on one end of the shaft 32 and a cam 37 on the opposite end. Cam 36 is positioned immediately below the lower end 38 or rod 17 and end 38 bears against the surface of such cam. Likewise, cam 37 is disposed immediately below rod 20 and the lower end 39 thereof engages the surface of the cam 37. Also engagingrthe surface of cam 37 is a rocker arm 40 which is pivotally mounted at 41 in a bearing 42 secured to the base 10. Theend of 43 of rocker arm 40 engages the surface of cam 37 and the opposite end 44 of rocker arm 40 engages the lower end 45 of push rod 23.

VA rocker arm 46 is pivotally mounted at 47 on a bearing 48 secured to the base 10 and one end of this rocker arm 46 engages the surface of cam 36 while the opposite end of rocker arm 46 engages the lower end of the pushrod opposite to pushrod 17.

Consequently, as will be seen upon rotation of the cam shaft 32, the cams 36 and 37 will operate to raise the pushrods 17 and 20 during one portion of the rotation of cani shaft 32 and during the opposite portion of such rotation, the cam 37 will operate to pivot the rocker arms 40 and`46 and thus raise the opposite pushrods. This will resulty in alternately raising and lowering opposite side edges of the hammock 28 and since such alternate motion is one hundred and eighty degrees out of phase, a persons body suspended in the hammock 28 will be massaged over the entire length thereof, at whatever frequency is determined by the speed of rotation of the cam shaft32.

The cam shaft 32 may be conveniently driven by a motor 49 mounted on the base 10 and the output shaft 50 of the motor 49 may be coupled to a speed reduction gearing` 51 which in turn may be provided with an output shaft 52 having a pulley 53 fixed thereon. Pulley 53 may be .connected to a pulley 54 mounted on the cam shaft 32 by a. belt 55 and consequently, energization of the motor 49 will serve vto rotate the cam shaft 32 at a speed determined by the ratio of the speed reduction gearing 51.

It will be seen that by the above described invention there has been provided a relatively simple, yet highly efficient apparatus for massaging the entire length of the human body while such body is comfortably supported in a more or less horizontal position, which apparatus may be economically constructed from readily available parts and materials and which may be of suflciently lightweight material to be conveniently transported from place to place and utilized where desired. Since the drive is through a reduction gearing, a variable speed gearing may if desired, be employed in order to adjust the frequency of operation and thereby control the massage action of the apparatus.

lt will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in theV drawing and described in the specication, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An apparatus for simultaneous massage of the entire human body, said apparatus comprising a base, spaced pairs of uprights mounted on vsaid base, a push rod slidably mounted in guides on each upright, a bar secured to the upper ends of the rods on one side of said base, a second bar secured to the upper ends of the rods on the other side of said base, a body supporting hammock of flexible material secured to said bars `and suspended therebetween, a cam shaft rotatably mounted in bearings on said base, a pair of cams on said cam shaft engaging the lower ends of the rods on that side of said base, a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted on said base, one end of each rocker arm engaging a cam and the opposite end engaging the lower end of the opposite rod, the points of engagement of said rods and said rocker arms with said cams being one hundred eighty degrees apart and means for driving said cam shaft whereby upon rotation of said cams the rods on opposite sides of said base will be alternately raised and lowered to alternately raise and lower'alternate sides of said hammock to simultaneously massage the length of a human body supported in said hammock.

2. An apparatus for simultaneous massage of the entire human body, said apparatus comprising a base, spaced pairs of uprights mounted on said base, a push rod reciprocably mounted on each upright, a bar secured to the upper ends of the rods on one side of said base, a second bar secured to the upper ends of the rods on the other side of said base, a body supporting hammock of flexible material secured to said bars and suspended therebetween, a cam shaft rotatably mounted in bearings on said base, a pair of cams on said cam shaft engaging the lower ends of the rods on that side of said base, a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted on said base, one end of each rocker arm engaging a cam and the opposite end engaging the lower end of the opposite rod, the points of engagement of said rods and said rocker arms with said cams being one hundred eighty degrees apart and means for driving said cam shaft whereby upon rotation of said cams the rods on opposite sides of said base will be alternately raised and lowered to alternately raise and lower alternate sides of said hammock to simultaneously massage the entire length of a human body supported in said hammock.

3. An apparatus for simultaneous massage of the human body, said apparatus comprising a base, spaced pairs of uprights mounted on said base, a push rod reciprocably mounted on each upright, a body supporting hammock of flexible material secured to said rods and suspended therebetween, a cam shaft rotatably mounted in bearings on said base, a pair of cams on said shaft engaging the lower ends of the rods on that side of said base, a pair or rocker arms pivotally mounted on said base, one end of each rocker arm engaging a cam and the opposite end engaging the lower end of the opposite rod, the points of engagement of said rods and said rocker arms with said cam being one hundred eighty degrees apart and means for driving said cam shaft whereby upon rotation of said cams the rods on opposite sides of said base will be alternately raised and lowered to alternately raise and lower alternate sides of said hammock to simultaneously massage the entire length of a human body supported in said hammock.

4. An apparatus for simultaneous massage of the entire human body, said apparatus comprising a base, spaced pairs of uprights mounted on said base, a push rod reciprocably mounted on each upright, a body supporting hammock of ilexible material secured to said rods and suspended therebetween, a cam shaft rotatably mounted on said base, a pair of cams on said cam shaft engaging the lower ends of the rods on that side of said base, a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted on said base, one end of each rocker arm engaging a cam and the opposite end engaging the lower end of the opposite rod and means for driving said cam shaft whereby upon rotation of said cams the rods on opposite sides of said base will be alternately raised and lowered to alternately raise and lower alternate sides of said hammock to simultaneously massage the entire length of a human body supported in said hammock.

5. An apparatus for simultaneous massage of the human body, said apparatus comprising a base, a pair of push rods reciprocably mounted on each side of said base, a body supporting hammock of ilexible material secured to said rods and suspended therebetween, a cam shaft rotatably mounted on said base, a pair of cams on said cam shaft engaging the lower ends of the rods on that side of said base, a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted on said base, one end of each rocker arm engaging a cam and the opposite end engaging the lower end of the opposite rod, and means for driving said cam shaft whereby upon rotation of said cam the rods on opposite sides of said base will be alternately raised and lowered to alternately raise and lower alternate sides of said hammock to simultaneously massage the entire length of the human body supported in said hammock.

6. An apparatus for simultaneous massage of the entire length of the human body, said apparatus comprising a base, upstanding members on said base, a body supporting hammock of exible material carried by said members and means to alternately raise and lower opposite sides of said hammock at a relatively rapid rate to simultaneously massage the entire length of the human body supported in said hammock.

7. An apparatus for simultaneous massage of the entire length of the human body, said apparatus comprising a body supporting hammock of exible material, means to support said hammock from opposite side edges thereof and means to alternately raise and lower opposite sides of said hammock to simultaneously massage the entire length of the human body supported in said hammock.

No references cited. 

